Recently, the online and offline demand for antigen detection reagents in COVID-19 has surged, but pharmacies are out of stock and e-commerce platforms are sold out.

On many social platforms, there are many individual sellers who claim to be "related households" and "supplied by regular off-shelf manufacturers" selling antigens. "They sold 7 million tablets a week, starting from 1 1,000 boxes".

Some netizens left a message and received the antigen as scheduled after the transfer; Some netizens also said that they did not receive the antigen in the end and were hacked by the seller.

A notice of antigen shortage was posted at the door of a pharmacy in Beijing. Photography/photo by Zhao Yumeng

As early as March 2020, the State Administration of Medical Products listed novel coronavirus detection reagents as the third class of medical devices. The so-called third category of medical devices refers to the classified management implemented by the state according to the risk degree of medical devices. The third category is medical devices with high risks, which need to be strictly controlled and managed by special measures to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

In March, 2022, the State Administration of Medical Products proposed that only retail pharmacies and medical device enterprises that have obtained drug business licenses or medical device business licenses and have corresponding storage conditions can sell COVID-19 antigen detection reagents.

"receiving goods"

According to the data of JD Health, the turnover of1654381October 28th to February 4th increased by 344% compared with last week.

65438+February 65438+March, the reporter randomly called pharmacies in Xiamen, Shenzhen, Beijing and other places and was told that the antigen was sold out. A person in charge of a pharmacy in Xiamen said that middlemen raised prices, and the prices of high-priced goods also rose, fearing that they could not be sold. Many e-commerce platforms, most shops selling antigens are out of stock, and the pre-sale price is high, and the unit price is as high as 10-15.

China Newsweek noticed that the seller claimed on several social platforms that it was "supplied by regular off-shelf manufacturers".

The reporter contacted a number of individual sellers as buyers. The seller, Chen Bo, said that he sold 7 million copies of antigen last week, but he could only pre-sell it if it was out of stock. Price 1 000, unit price in 6.5 yuan.

Chen Bo claims that the source of the goods is "Xiamen Aode Bio", which can guarantee the authenticity. "There are not less than 300 million yuan of stocks on the market every day. Where do you think the goods went? " However, I really don't have the manufacturer's sales authorization. "Less goods are personal sales."

Chen Bo revealed that this kind of antigen can't be bought in the market now because many individual sellers "receive the goods" and don't worry about selling them when they have the goods.

If you are interested, you can also be his "offline". The daily purchase price from Chen Bo is not fixed. For example, the purchase price of a single100000 pieces is 4.8 yuan, and the price is in 5.4 yuan -5.8 yuan; A list of ten thousand yuan, 6.7 yuan -7 yuan. How much to sell depends on your ability.

Chen Bo said that the antigen was out of stock because individual sellers "received the goods"

At 22 o'clock on the evening of 12, the seller Liu Xingang delivered 3 100 antigens to a company. He said that Beijing is in stock, and the unit price is 8.5 yuan. You can issue receipts, but you can't provide invoices. "I can take more, and hundreds of orders are not enough."

Liu Xin claimed that the antigen belonged to "Hangzhou Aotai" and "Zhejiang Oriental Gene". He also claimed that the source of the goods was true, but the manufacturer's sales authorization could not be provided. "I have a' relationship' to get goods directly from the manufacturer, but the pharmacy can't get it."

As for the shortage of antigens, in Liu Xin's view, this is because the manufacturers have left a batch of antigens, and some sellers will "detain the goods and resell them".

According to the survey of China Newsweek, many individual sellers sell antigens in futures and spot, and some sellers do not provide retail, but also have requirements for minimum order quantity. A seller said that the number of spot and futures sales was one million.

Hu Gang, the seller, immediately changed his attitude when he heard that he wanted to buy it in retail. "Just buy a few. I am too lazy to send dozens. " He claimed that the antigen was "Nanjing Nuoherui". When the reporter asked about its sales authorization, he admitted that "Novo Horizonte's sales authorization is out of the question".

An insider of an antigen manufacturer revealed to China Newsweek that individual sellers may purchase goods from dealers, for example, for their own use, but if a large number of goods are purchased, it may involve dealers and sellers operating privately in violation of regulations. "Doing risky things may have a considerable profit margin."

Manufacturers will not give individual sales authorization.

So far, the State Administration of Pharmaceutical Products has approved 42 kinds of antigen products. According to the incomplete statistics of China Newsweek, about 20 antigen reagent manufacturers have issued standardized business statements.

For example, Nanjing Novozan Medical Technology Co., Ltd. issued a statement saying that the operation of three types of medical devices must comply with the relevant legal requirements such as the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices and obtain the Medical Device Business License before they can be sold, otherwise it will constitute an illegal act.

65438+February 65438+April 4, Wang _ Wen, head of the brand department of Novozan Company, told China News Weekly that individual sellers will not be authorized to sell if they purchase goods from manufacturers for business purposes; For personal use, the buyer needs to sign a personal use agreement to prove that it is not for sale; If you want to become an authorized dealer, you must issue three types of medical device sales qualifications, and the manufacturer will sign an authorization contract with the dealer after passing the examination.

According to the survey of China Newsweek, many individual sellers claim that they can issue sales authorization, but what they actually issue is the qualification certificate approved by the manufacturer. In this regard, Wang Wen reminded that the manufacturer has been approved for production qualification and can download it from the official flagship store.

Shenzhen Yi Rui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. said that some individuals and companies have recently violated the contents of the product registration certificate when promoting products, and there is a risk that improper use of products will infringe on the personal rights and interests of the subjects. In this regard, Yi Rui biological related staff also said that manufacturers will not grant individual sellers sales qualifications, and will strictly review the qualifications of dealers in the business scope of three types of medical devices.

It is worth noting that in addition to the statement issued by manufacturers, illegal sales of antigens are also being rectified in various places. 65438+February 65438+March, the State Administration of Markets in Haidian District, Beijing investigated and dealt with the first case of selling antigen kits at high prices. After investigation, the party concerned failed to obtain the Business License for Drugs and Medical Devices and sold the antigen at a high price, and it is planned to impose an administrative penalty of 300,000 yuan.

Is it illegal for individuals to sell antigens?

On March 12, 2022, the State Administration of Medical Devices issued the Notice of the General Department of the State Administration of Medical Devices on Doing a Good Job in the Quality and Safety Supervision of Antigen Detection Reagents in COVID-19. It is mentioned that illegal activities such as unauthorized production and operation and unregistered COVID-19 antigen detection reagents should be severely punished according to law. Anyone suspected of committing a crime shall be promptly transferred to the public security organ.

Fan Chen, a lawyer of Beijing Shi Jing Law Firm, told China Newsweek that it is illegal for individuals to sell antigens without a business license. In addition, some sellers hoard goods and ask consumers to sell from100000. According to the Law on the Protection of Consumers' Rights and Interests, consumers have the right to choose their own commodities, requiring them to buy100000 pieces of commodities, which infringes on consumers' independent trading rights and should be subject to administrative punishment.

Network picture

China's Newsweek also noticed that some consumers reported that individual sellers claimed that the antigen was only pre-sold, and they had to transfer money in advance. However, after the transfer, consumers did not receive the antigen, and some were directly blacked out by the seller.

Tan, a lawyer of Beijing Law Firm, said that if the merchant does not deliver the goods after payment, it is suspected of fraud. Consumers can report the case, not only asking for legal responsibility, but also asking the local drug supervision department for punishment.

In an interview with Caijing, the staff of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Market Supervision said that the main body of supervision of the State Administration of Market Supervision is enterprises, and the reselling of antigen reagents by individuals is not within the scope of supervision of the State Administration of Market Supervision. The staff member also said that if no one reports, the relevant departments will not take the initiative to punish. "Punishment must have clear evidence."

65438+February 65438+April, the State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism held a press conference to respond to the problem of drug production and supply. Zhou Jian, deputy director of the Consumer Products Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that overall, key medical materials such as antigen detection reagents, masks and vaccines have sufficient production capacity. Zhou Jian pointed out that there is a temporary shortage of antigen detection reagents in some places. With the continuous release of production capacity, the output will increase rapidly to meet the needs of the masses.

Wang _ Wen believes that the current market demand is blowout and the supply of production capacity is insufficient, which leads to the contradiction between supply and demand. The expansion of the production capacity of antigen manufacturers is a gradual process and a gradual growth process. Compared with masks, antigen production needs to comply with stricter requirements, such as raw material stocking, recruitment and training of production personnel.

She said that enterprises are stepping up the expansion of production capacity. After the production capacity is gradually expanded, the market supply will expand, which can effectively alleviate the current situation that the market is in short supply.

Wang _ Wen suggested that consumers buy antigens rationally to avoid providing profit opportunities for illegal sellers.